It’s been a year like no other. The oil price went negative, airlines were grounded, some forever. A single meat market in Wuhan, specializing in exotic meats for conspicuous consumption by wealthy Chinese, generated a virus which spread like wildfire. Countries went into lockdown, some stringently, some half-heartedly. The results are there for everyone to see. Millions became employed overnight. Some countries responded with support, others opted for benign neglect. Vaccines were developed at unprecedented speed. A would-be tyrant was rejected at the polls. Most if not all of us will say goodbye and good riddance to 2020.

 

I’m in Thailand by choice and some good luck. Two weeks later in February, and I would still be locked down in Australia, contemplating slashing my wrists. A much more enjoyable life for me here.

 

Having said that, there are some things I miss about my home country.

 

I miss the wind. In Thailand, it seems the wind can’t get much above a gentle zephyr. I would rug up with about four layers of clothing in winter, go down to Gunnamatta beach with an offshore wind of 50-60 km/hr, and watch 10 metre waves pound the coast. Nature at its most primeval.

 

I miss the wineries that dot the Mornington Peninsula, where one could have a light lunch and a couple of glasses of the local product, which most of the time was very good. Apart from Thai wine quality, I don’t believe Thais know what a cellar door is, or what it’s for.

 

I miss my 2004 Mitsubishi Magna AWD sedan, IMO one of the most underrated vehicles ever produced. Balanced like a cat on dirt roads and wet bitumen. About a third the new car price of a comparable Mercedes. My son has it now, still plugging along with 300,000 km on the odometer.

 

I miss the golf competitions I used to play. Par, foursomes, match play, Canadian foursomes. Here, it’s just stroke and Stableford. Boring.

 

I miss the camaraderie of the Wednesday Boys. 15 – 20 of us, some real characters and nicknames.

The Poet, The Farmer, The Whippet, Pistol Pete, Triple Treat. Best net score got a two-dollar coin from every other player, with an appropriate obeisance. Some really acid sledging during play, one of the best at my expense. A day when I was spraying my tee shots all over the course, but making pars because I’m holing putts from everywhere on the greens. Our group gets to the seventeenth tee, par 3, and I’m fretting about club selection, is it a 6 or 7 iron? One of my mates says “ Why don’t you tee off with your putter? It’s the only club you’ve hit straight all day”.

 

I miss a Gippsland eye fillet steak, medium, with a Warby Ranges Shiraz. Followed by a King Island blue brie on water crackers.

 

I miss grilled flake and chips,with a pickled onion on the side. Flake is also known as shark to non-Australians, very sweet fish, and filling.

 

All the best to everyone on TV over Christmas, and may 2021 be better.

 

What do you miss?

In and Out burger.

12 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I miss a Gippsland eye fillet steak, medium, with a Warby Ranges Shiraz. Followed by a King Island blue brie on water crackers.

But here in Thailand you can get Moo Ping with a Bubble Tea, followed by SomTam with pickled blue paddy crab and water crickets...all for less than $2

Cheap cheese .

Ehh the grass is always greener but I'd say to have more more diverse conversations! Gets a bit dry & repetitive here at times...suppose I should have fun with it, I do.

 

-Burgers

-Drag racing (Need to check it out here)

-bbqs + beer outside

-less petty co-workers/staff

-driving

 

I love Thailand! 555

Not having the new variant of Covid available to me.     LOL

1 minute ago, KannikaP said:

Not having the new variant of Covid available to me.     LOL

If you believe the gov you don’t even have the old variant !!

I'm on the gold coast and no lockdown here and no new cases in 200 days I think. 

 

Free medical in the first class medical system. A pension card makes sure you never pay more than $7 for a prescription and half price for bus and tram 

 

Amazing clean surf beaches dotted with surf clubs where you can drink beer and dine with a stunning view 

 

Cheap deli food and stupid cheap wines and oh the magnificent range of cheeses. Beer where I drink is $5.50 per schooner a bit more expensive than Thailand 

 

Best of all the pub down the road does $6 rump steak and chips. Not a huge portion but enough for me 

 

Of course this is all wiped out by the expensive rent but government rent assistance of $300 A month helps somewhat 

 

But the worst thing is young women look right through you like your not even there. Getting a young wife for an older guy is just a fantasy unless you many millions 

The wind in your face

The warm breath in the cold air

The smell of Autumn in the woods.

 

Custard creams

Decent Bread !

Fish n chips in a paper

 

Having a conversation without having to dumb it down and break it up as you go.

 

I've not lived in the UK for nigh on 30 years, all the things I used to do and I miss are probably illegal now ???? 

 

Plus I'm 30 years older and XXkg heavier

Tongue-in-cheek:

 

Sub zero temperatures in winter

High energy and water bills

Community Charge Tax

Covid-19 

TV License

 

Wine at a decent price

All 4 seasons.

Anfield.

Other than that absolutely sod all! 

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

In and Out burger.

same, but the In n Out, and then a burger afterwards ????

Carlton Draught pots in a clean glass, from a pub that regularly cleans the lines, (and preferably has topless barmaids, but hard to find these days)

Being in a shout, drinking Carlton Draught pots with a group who are setting a fast pace, pushing you with the sledging you mentioned. Not keeping up isn’t an option.
 

That being said, having table service in a Thai pub with live music and a pretty or ten constantly topping up your glass is nice also. Just wish they had Carlton Draught pots.
 

I don’t miss the females. I go back yearly and find them more offensive every year. More tattooed, more self entitled, fatter, more aggressive and louder. An average Soi 6 girl has better matters IMO and is very feminine versus the butch aggro feminist shielas back home.

And now all of my regular roots are past their use by date now but still expect me to service them, so best completely avoided unless I have had a heap of Carlton Draught pots.
 

I miss cheap rear wheel drive V8s. 

 

Most of my mates visit me often in Thailand, often in groups,  much more fun to be had here than back home. Some unfortunately can’t afford to because their ex wife took the house, so they now pay high rent and have to pay high maintenance to the wife to pay for the kids she hardly gives him access to. No money for holidays.
 

I go back for Xmas and New Years, best time to go with parties and Boxing Day Test in my mates corporate box. 
 

Cheap v8s and Carlton Draught. That is about it. 

Life is much, much better in Thailand in so many ways.

 

... decent heating in da crib is what I'm missing right now, no darn kidding ... 8 degree nightly minimum brought room temps down to like 13, brewing me a stiff grog as we speak...

 

(... why in the name of bazoozoo is the font so small, that suxx)

(... think I fixed it)

 

31 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Fish n chips in a paper

Prince Albert in a can, or tupperware at the least..

 

Also entering without needed a visa -- VIP!

Cheap wine; sausage rolls

Pension Increases

NHS Entitlements

To the OP,

if you miss the wind so much you should move to somewhere like Phuket. At times when gales blow through I've watched roofing tin on large buildings being peeled back, wondered if large trees around the house would snap off, and despaired at the news of incompetent crews, on badly designed boats, killing tourists by the score by venturing out in violent squalls on the ocean.

 

What I miss in Australia are my good friends meeting for protracted lunches on Fridays, good cheap wine, the hundreds of varieties and labels of beer easily available at every liquor outlet, good beef, lamb and seafood at supermarkets everywhere, more variety and cheaper vehicles available for sale,  long excursions into remote parts of the country for camping, fishing or prospecting trips where it's possible to go for hours, even days, without seeing another vehicle or human.

And, as someone else pointed out, being able to have a reasonably intelligent conversation with the majority of people whose paths I cross. 

 

The list of what I don't miss in my home country is much longer.

The vaccine.

2 minutes ago, Mutt Daeng said:

Pension Increases

NHS Entitlements

I get both of those in Thailand. The only thing I miss is Warburton's crumpets.

6 minutes ago, polpott said:

I get both of those in Thailand. The only thing I miss is Warburton's crumpets.

Maybe I was "naive/being honest", but I thought telling the UK government  that I was leaving the UK for good was the right thing to do.

23 minutes ago, Liverpoolfan said:

Anfield.

Other than that absolutely sod all! 

 

plenty of publiic toilets in Thailand mate. ????

 

 

1 minute ago, Mutt Daeng said:

Maybe I was naive/being honest, but I thought telling the UK government  that I was leaving the UK for good was the right thing to do.

Naïve definitely. Honest? I can think of many occasions when the government wasn't honest with me. Back at ya HMG. My winter fuel allowance and Christmas bonus have paid for all my Christmas presents.

2 minutes ago, nikmar said:

 

A pi**heads wet dream right there! 

49 minutes ago, madmen said:

I'm on the gold coast and no lockdown here and no new cases in 200 days I think. 

 

Free medical in the first class medical system. A pension card makes sure you never pay more than $7 for a prescription and half price for bus and tram 

 

Amazing clean surf beaches dotted with surf clubs where you can drink beer and dine with a stunning view 

 

Cheap deli food and stupid cheap wines and oh the magnificent range of cheeses. Beer where I drink is $5.50 per schooner a bit more expensive than Thailand 

 

Best of all the pub down the road does $6 rump steak and chips. Not a huge portion but enough for me 

 

Of course this is all wiped out by the expensive rent but government rent assistance of $300 A month helps somewhat 

 

But the worst thing is young women look right through you like your not even there. Getting a young wife for an older guy is just a fantasy unless you many millions 

The Gold Coast is very pleasant, stayed there for a few weeks at a friend's condo on Currumbin Beach.

My Thai GF is 23 years younger than me, I'm pampered. So it is swings and roundabouts.

Just now, Liverpoolfan said:

A pi**heads wet dream right there! 

Dry dream. No gravy.